We Are

We Are…

… A People Who Love God

We value a deep and transforming personal relationship with God. We express this desire in our practice of the spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and meditation, worship and service.

We value a passionate spirituality that has both substance and integrity. We seek to demonstrate a joyful and sincere devotion to God.

We are committed to learning. With the Scriptures as our primary text, we are called to use our God-given abilities to explore all realms of this created world. The goal of all our learning is to grow in faithful discipleship to Jesus Christ.

We affirm music and the arts as an expression of God’s creativity and love of beauty.

… A People Who Love Others

• We value the warmth of fellowship the Spirit of God creates in a church. We believe the church is God’s new society where people covenant together to grow in mutual service and submission to one another.

• We value the gifts of all God’s people. We believe all Christians are gifted by the Spirit and called to ministry where they work, worship and live.

• We celebrate the rich variety of gifts and perspectives in our church. Our goal is to be united with one heart and one mind by the Spirit of God.

• We value the church as a safe place for asking questions, being challenged to think deeply, and for growing in maturity of faith.

• We value a congregational form of church polity. This includes a broad-based discussion of issues and ideas, where all voices are heard and respected, and where our decision-making strives for consensus.

• We appreciate the need for a flexible and responsive approach to ministry. We respect the traditions that have nourished past generations, while celebrating and being open to that which is new and innovative. Therefore, we periodically evaluate our structures and programs to ensure that they reflect our giftedness and they meet the needs of those they serve.

… A People Who Love Our World

• We are committed to the ‘good news of the Kingdom of God’ as Jesus announced it. Following his example, we seek to proclaim this good news throughout word and our actions. This means that our mission is warmly evangelistic, inviting people to a life-changing personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It also means that we seek to embody the will of God for peace and justice ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’

• We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is profoundly relevant in our world and in the choices we make. It shapes our personal ethics, our family relationships, our economic and political values, and our stewardship of the environment.

• We are committed to welcoming and accepting all people in the way Christ did.

• We believe that following the way of Christ includes identification with the poor and the downtrodden. In our mission we seek to model Christ’s special concern for the poor, the weak, and the outcast.